(in)direct question after the copula
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I'm wondering which of the following options is correct in writing:
- The question is how do we improve our French.
- The question is, how do we improve our French?
- The question is: How do we improve our French?
- The question is how we can improve our French.
indirect-question
asked Feb 26 '17 at 7:52
Apollyon
7453932
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I'm wondering which of the following options is correct in writing:
- The question is how do we improve our French.
- The question is, how do we improve our French?
- The question is: How do we improve our French?
- The question is how we can improve our French.
indirect-question
asked Feb 26 '17 at 7:52
Apollyon
7453932
All four variations work just fine, and they say the same thing.
– Yosef Baskin
Feb 27 '17 at 22:09
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I'm wondering which of the following options is correct in writing:
- The question is how do we improve our French.
- The question is, how do we improve our French?
- The question is: How do we improve our French?
- The question is how we can improve our French.
indirect-question
asked Feb 26 '17 at 7:52
Apollyon
7453932
I'm wondering which of the following options is correct in writing:
- The question is how do we improve our French.
- The question is, how do we improve our French?
- The question is: How do we improve our French?
- The question is how we can improve our French.
indirect-question
indirect-question
asked Feb 26 '17 at 7:52
Apollyon
7453932
asked Feb 26 '17 at 7:52
Apollyon
7453932
asked Feb 26 '17 at 7:52
Apollyon
7453932
asked Feb 26 '17 at 7:52
Apollyon
7453932
asked Feb 26 '17 at 7:52
Apollyon
7453932
7453932
All four variations work just fine, and they say the same thing.
– Yosef Baskin
Feb 27 '17 at 22:09
add a comment |
All four variations work just fine, and they say the same thing.
– Yosef Baskin
Feb 27 '17 at 22:09
All four variations work just fine, and they say the same thing.
– Yosef Baskin
Feb 27 '17 at 22:09
All four variations work just fine, and they say the same thing.
– Yosef Baskin
Feb 27 '17 at 22:09
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
The question is how we improve our French.
The question is how we can improve our French.
These are indirect questions and they take the normal word order and end
without the question mark. The clauses beginning with question words
can act as subjects, objects, complements or adverbials.
E.g. Do you know what she wanted? (object)
This is how much I did so far. (Complement)
How you divide up the money is your business. (subject)
I'd like to know how much it is.
answered Feb 26 '17 at 10:15
mahmud koya
6,7944724
A British friend of mine wrote "The question is how do we improve our French." Was he incorrect, or simply being colloquial?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 12:28
More details and a lot of examples are available here:perfect-english-grammar.com/indirect-questions.html
– mahmud koya
Feb 26 '17 at 12:44
I know standard rules. What I'm curious about is my British friend's sentence. Does that reflect general British speech, or his dialect / idiolect?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 13:15
He punctuated it incorrectly. It should have been direct speech: 'The question is: "how do we improve our French?"'
– Peter Shor
Jul 26 '17 at 18:57
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
The question is how we improve our French.
The question is how we can improve our French.
These are indirect questions and they take the normal word order and end
without the question mark. The clauses beginning with question words
can act as subjects, objects, complements or adverbials.
E.g. Do you know what she wanted? (object)
This is how much I did so far. (Complement)
How you divide up the money is your business. (subject)
I'd like to know how much it is.
answered Feb 26 '17 at 10:15
mahmud koya
6,7944724
A British friend of mine wrote "The question is how do we improve our French." Was he incorrect, or simply being colloquial?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 12:28
More details and a lot of examples are available here:perfect-english-grammar.com/indirect-questions.html
– mahmud koya
Feb 26 '17 at 12:44
I know standard rules. What I'm curious about is my British friend's sentence. Does that reflect general British speech, or his dialect / idiolect?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 13:15
He punctuated it incorrectly. It should have been direct speech: 'The question is: "how do we improve our French?"'
– Peter Shor
Jul 26 '17 at 18:57
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
The question is how we improve our French.
The question is how we can improve our French.
These are indirect questions and they take the normal word order and end
without the question mark. The clauses beginning with question words
can act as subjects, objects, complements or adverbials.
E.g. Do you know what she wanted? (object)
This is how much I did so far. (Complement)
How you divide up the money is your business. (subject)
I'd like to know how much it is.
answered Feb 26 '17 at 10:15
mahmud koya
6,7944724
A British friend of mine wrote "The question is how do we improve our French." Was he incorrect, or simply being colloquial?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 12:28
More details and a lot of examples are available here:perfect-english-grammar.com/indirect-questions.html
– mahmud koya
Feb 26 '17 at 12:44
I know standard rules. What I'm curious about is my British friend's sentence. Does that reflect general British speech, or his dialect / idiolect?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 13:15
He punctuated it incorrectly. It should have been direct speech: 'The question is: "how do we improve our French?"'
– Peter Shor
Jul 26 '17 at 18:57
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
The question is how we improve our French.
The question is how we can improve our French.
These are indirect questions and they take the normal word order and end
without the question mark. The clauses beginning with question words
can act as subjects, objects, complements or adverbials.
E.g. Do you know what she wanted? (object)
This is how much I did so far. (Complement)
How you divide up the money is your business. (subject)
I'd like to know how much it is.
answered Feb 26 '17 at 10:15
mahmud koya
6,7944724
The question is how we improve our French.
The question is how we can improve our French.
These are indirect questions and they take the normal word order and end
without the question mark. The clauses beginning with question words
can act as subjects, objects, complements or adverbials.
E.g. Do you know what she wanted? (object)
This is how much I did so far. (Complement)
How you divide up the money is your business. (subject)
I'd like to know how much it is.
answered Feb 26 '17 at 10:15
mahmud koya
6,7944724
edited Feb 26 '17 at 12:57
answered Feb 26 '17 at 10:15
mahmud koya
6,7944724
answered Feb 26 '17 at 10:15
mahmud koya
6,7944724
answered Feb 26 '17 at 10:15
mahmud koya
6,7944724
6,7944724
A British friend of mine wrote "The question is how do we improve our French." Was he incorrect, or simply being colloquial?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 12:28
More details and a lot of examples are available here:perfect-english-grammar.com/indirect-questions.html
– mahmud koya
Feb 26 '17 at 12:44
I know standard rules. What I'm curious about is my British friend's sentence. Does that reflect general British speech, or his dialect / idiolect?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 13:15
He punctuated it incorrectly. It should have been direct speech: 'The question is: "how do we improve our French?"'
– Peter Shor
Jul 26 '17 at 18:57
add a comment |
A British friend of mine wrote "The question is how do we improve our French." Was he incorrect, or simply being colloquial?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 12:28
More details and a lot of examples are available here:perfect-english-grammar.com/indirect-questions.html
– mahmud koya
Feb 26 '17 at 12:44
I know standard rules. What I'm curious about is my British friend's sentence. Does that reflect general British speech, or his dialect / idiolect?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 13:15
He punctuated it incorrectly. It should have been direct speech: 'The question is: "how do we improve our French?"'
– Peter Shor
Jul 26 '17 at 18:57
A British friend of mine wrote "The question is how do we improve our French." Was he incorrect, or simply being colloquial?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 12:28
A British friend of mine wrote "The question is how do we improve our French." Was he incorrect, or simply being colloquial?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 12:28
More details and a lot of examples are available here:perfect-english-grammar.com/indirect-questions.html
– mahmud koya
Feb 26 '17 at 12:44
More details and a lot of examples are available here:perfect-english-grammar.com/indirect-questions.html
– mahmud koya
Feb 26 '17 at 12:44
I know standard rules. What I'm curious about is my British friend's sentence. Does that reflect general British speech, or his dialect / idiolect?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 13:15
I know standard rules. What I'm curious about is my British friend's sentence. Does that reflect general British speech, or his dialect / idiolect?
– Apollyon
Feb 26 '17 at 13:15
He punctuated it incorrectly. It should have been direct speech: 'The question is: "how do we improve our French?"'
– Peter Shor
Jul 26 '17 at 18:57
He punctuated it incorrectly. It should have been direct speech: 'The question is: "how do we improve our French?"'
– Peter Shor
Jul 26 '17 at 18:57
add a comment |
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All four variations work just fine, and they say the same thing.
– Yosef Baskin
Feb 27 '17 at 22:09